Kaohsiung Mingyi Bookstore will close on November 30, ending its 27-year history

The famous Mingyi Bookstore in Kaohsiung is about to turn off its lights. (File photo)

The tragedy of physical bookstores! Following the closure of Fengshan Bookstore two years ago, Mingyi Bookstore in Kaohsiung, which has been open for 27 years, was originally going to close eight years ago because the landlord planned to raise the rent. Later, it continued to struggle for eight years. Because the income from book sales could not cover the store's costs, it announced yesterday (2) that it would close on November 30, which made many people reluctant to leave!

Mingyi Warehouse Bookstore was founded in Hedi Community in Sanmin District in 1999. It takes the route of a community bookstore and attracts consumers with a discount of about 20%. It has many die-hard book buyers in Kaohsiung.

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However, in recent years, affected by factors such as soaring store rents, the rise of e-commerce, and the "Sliding Generation", it has become increasingly difficult for physical bookstores to operate. In 2024, Kaohsiung Fengshan Bookstore, which had been in business for 43 years and was known as the "Magic Cave under the Old Bus Terminal", closed its operations at the end of April, much to the disappointment of book fans.

Mingyi Bookstore, which is invested by Taipei book logistics company United Publishing, is in the same predicament. In 2018, it was about to be shut down because the landlord planned to raise the rent. Later, with the landlord's concession, the lease was renewed with the original lease, and after 8 years of hard work, it was announced that it had passed into history. It is understood that the landowner has a low-key personality and is quite supportive of cultural undertakings.

Mingyi Bookstore posted a lights-out notice yesterday, writing "This is a difficult decision." It announced that it will be open until November 30, and launched a Thanksgiving sale at membership prices for the entire library, inviting book lovers to "come back and take a walk and say goodbye to Mingyi Bookstore."

The business owner said that there were three stores in its heyday, but now this one is the only one left. The first and second floors are mainly occupied by books and magazines. However, the turnover rate of books is slow. The decision to close the business this time has nothing to do with the rent or the expiration of the lease. It is because the income from selling books can no longer cover the store costs.

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